The announcement was made during the International Armoured Vehicles Conference 2025 (IAV 2025) in Farnborough. However, the project remains in its early stages, with no formal decisions taken and details of the potential acquisition yet to be disclosed.
Spain currently operates around 79 Leopard 2A4 tanks, originally acquired from Germany in the late 1990s. Of the original 108 vehicles, 29 were refurbished and delivered to Ukraine, while the remaining units are either stored, used for training, or in poor technical condition.
The backbone of Spain’s armoured forces consists of 219 Leopard 2E tanks, an advanced version comparable to the Leopard 2A6. The Leopard 2A4 tanks have been deemed outdated, with their refurbishment and modernisation considered uneconomical.
Alongside acquiring new main battle tanks, Spain also plans to replace its ageing armoured support vehicles. The current fleet includes several obsolete M60-based combat engineering and bridge-laying vehicles, which are set to be retired.
To fill this gap, Spain is evaluating the German Keiler NG vehicles, offered by Rheinmetall in multiple configurations. Meanwhile, earlier plans to convert Leopard 2A4 tanks into specialised support vehicles have been abandoned.
This modernisation initiative reflects Spain’s commitment to strengthening its land forces with state-of-the-art equipment. If the Leopard 2A8 is selected, it would mark a significant advancement in the country’s armoured warfare capabilities.
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